The emotional rollercoaster of midlife can be like a tangled mess of wild emotions, ranging from ecstatic highs to abysmal lows and this can come as a huge surprise for many women. For this episode we have the pleasure of inviting Kirstin Bouse back to the podcast, a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist with nearly three decades of experience who specialises working with midlife women. When her own perimenopause journey began six years ago, Kirstin looked to psychology and other health disciplines to make sense of and address what she was experiencing. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Since then, with considerable perseverance Kirstin found many colleagues across health disciplines ‘hiding in the shadows’ who are experienced in, and passionate about, working with women during this significant life stage. Listen in as Kirstin shares her experience and knowledge and we talk about:

• How we cannot ignore the histories of our lives that we bring to menopause and, although there are many events that affect us internally, they also have an external expression and experience.

• Statistics that suggest the higher rate of depression and anxiety at various stages of the menopause transition and how it tends to look different than at other times in a woman’s life.

• When rage takes over, the anger and irritability side of the roller coaster.

• Fluctuations of hormones, crashes in mood, and women who may not fit the typical criteria for depression, making us feel like we’re going a bit mad.

• Challenges in identity, value and how we feel about ourselves.

Kirstin has brought practitioners together and founded All About Her - The Centre for Menopause. The Centre is a community of practitioners from a wide range of health-related disciplines dedicated to elevating the voices, wellbeing, and lives of those who are navigating the menopausal years. As such, All About Her offers up-to-date information, evidence-based health-care services and innovative events and programs to menopausal women. In line with their core purpose of being ‘All About Her’, they offer their practitioner ongoing professional development and training and opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

I encourage you to find out more at www.allabouthercentre.com.au and follow Kirstin on Instagram @the_midlife_psychologist and @allabouthercentre. She can also be reached on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kirstin-bouse.

To access her resources you can visit https://www.allabouthercentre.com.au/webinars/clients

You can also find me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joclarkcoaching/ and Private Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenswellnesscollective1.

Here’s to redefining midlife and making our next half of life even better than the first.